Than the State of Colorado is remarkable? Travel for four days. Part 4

When we just discussed the plan of a trip to Colorado, my attention was drawn by the intriguing name - “ Garden of Gods “. And who would refuse such opportunity - to visit in “ To the Garden of Gods “? Therefore, coming back after “ ascensions “ on top of Payks Peak, we stopped by at this surprising park created not by people, and forces of the mother of the nature.

The guide on “ To the Garden of Gods “ we received in the same Information center in Manitou Springs when we took the plan of the road to Payks Peak. Though at entrance in “ Garden of gods “ there is Visitor Center. “ Garden of gods “ the Peak, as a matter of fact, at its foot is located on a sublime hilly plateau to the east of Payks. In the following, 2009, the park will note the centenary. Entrance to park free, such is there was a will of Charles Elliot Perkins (Charles Elliot Perkins) whose children presented the earth of present park to the city of Colorado Springs.

The park has the area of 1300 hectares (3300 acres). The twisting asphalted roads, generally with one-way traffic, allow those who have not enough time or who is not fond of walking, to pass for one or one and a half hours on all perimeter of park, to admire exotic “ sculptural “ constructions, doing stops for photography. And generally citizens, here the mass of pedestrian and horse tracks come just to take a walk here, it is possible to ride bicycles. There are even several rocks put by strong breeds which it is authorized to climb up by means of climbing equipment, but for this purpose it is necessary to get special permission in “ Visitor Center “. Inscriptions warn visitors that were careful as in park, especially in a hot season, there are a lot of rattling venomous snakes. There are a lot of different animals, we saw one deer, he quietly crossed the road, but we, unfortunately, did not manage to photograph him. Much squirrels and chipmunks run. Air very pure, coniferous trees - pines and cypresses prevail here.

Fancy towers, rocks, stones “ Sadah Gods “ - it is a product of a wind and water erosion as geologists speak. Once, about 300 million years ago here, at the bottom of the most ancient seas, sedimentary breeds - red and white sandstones, limestone collected. Subsequently, as a result of tectonic shifts, breeds were crumpled in folds, came to a surface, and wind and water continued sculpture of sculptures. Americans named the most interesting and large educations. There are rocks called by Northern and Southern gate, the Babel tower, the Kissing camels, the Balancing rock, Cathedral spikes, Siamese twins, Scala is the sentry, the Grey rock and so on. We with delight removed these miracles of the nature, also the truth can, it is created at will of God? You judge, looking at photos. It was a pity to leave from such beauty! But … time to come back to Denver.

Day the fourth. Thursday, October 2 .

Our travel comes to an end. In 15 - 30 it is necessary to hand over the car, and in the airport aboard the plane. Therefore to go out of borders of Denver it will not turn out and we almost did not see the capital of the state, only crossed the Downtown in the first day on 17 - y to the street. Downtowns of the American cities, in my opinion, differ from each other a little. Several tens skyscrapers, rather narrow streets, are frequent with one-way traffic, existence of a pedestrian street or the boulevard with various shops, cafe, restaurants, clubs, bars. Having roamed on the center by car, we decided to visit the Denver Museum of the nature and science (Denver Museum of Nature & Science), one of the largest not only in the USA, but also the world.

The museum is in City park, between boulevards of Colorado and University. In the same park there is still a Planetarium, the Zoo, and the Museum of the nature and science is adjoined by huge movie theater IMAX. The museum opens early, at 9 o`clock in the morning, the entrance cost us on 6 dollars from the person. Here it is possible to acquire annual subscriptions on a family, it turns out very cheap, and to drive here children - pleasure and huge pleasure. The museum struck me with abundance of exhibitions and exhibits, fine registration of dioramas - them more than 80 here - ti! I love the museums of the nature, was many times in Zoological in St. Petersburg and State Darwin Museum in Moscow (on Vavilov Street), and my companion visited the London Natural History Museum a year ago - Natural History Museum. And so, according to her, the Denver Museum of the nature is comparable with London, in something even surpasses it. And ours, especially Zoological in St. Petersburg, it is still very far to them. I cannot tell that the Darvinian museum in Moscow is poor, there is a lot of, it is a lot of interesting. But skuchnovata dioramas, them a little. It is possible to photograph in our museums or for an additional fee, or in general it is impossible. And there are no restrictions. Glasses in dioramas are so pure that photos turn out as if removed outdoors, but not in the museum. In the museum of Denver on the first floor the mineralogical collection of jewels, such extensive is placed that on wealth it is comparable with the Mineralogical museum in St. Petersburg at VSEGEI. Here minerals, jewels, gold and silver nuggets, and everything that was got in mines and mines of the State of Colorado are presented. On small displays constantly twist the rollers telling as where and when got minerals and as prepare stands and collections for the museum. And that is interesting, there is no protection, in any case, visible.

Then we rose by the second floor, a huge exhibition of skeletons and bones of the dinosaurs found in the territory of the State of Colorado there. It is the museum in the museum. In one of halls for children similarity of a plateau is made, all is filled up with sand and children “ conduct excavation “ small brushes clear away the remains “ skeletons “ fossil animals. Nearby a table where children by means of workers can make to themselves for memory of plaster of casting of bones. On several monitors show and tell where and when there lived exotic animals - dinosaurs. For children it is the real school of the nature.

Some more small halls of the museum are devoted to researches of mummies of ancient Egypt. The hospital of Colorado State University did a tomography of Ancient Egyptian mummies of different sarcophagi - one mummy - the rich woman, another - remains poor. It turned out that mummies strongly differ on a way of mummification and, as a result, on safety. Here, class distinctions divided people also many thousands years ago! The exhibition very much was pleasant to us.

But the most delightful halls - those that show the wild nature of North America, from the Pacific coast and islands to Atlantic, from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico. And all this in magnificent dioramas, with fine art execution. Everything cannot simply be examined for one visit. I hope that sometime still I will be able to arrive to Denver and to visit this museum. It was time for us to come back home, to Houston. But there were fine impressions of the marvelous State of Colorado and several hundreds of photos.